“Grief isn’t something you can think your way through.” So observes Kevin Young, whose latest poetry collection, the bittersweet “Book of Hours,” emerged from two life-altering events: the death of his father and the birth of his son. Young and Mary Szybist will discuss their works 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23, Wortham Theater Center, 501 Texas. $5 general admission. Information: inprinthouston.org
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Earlier this week, Random House announced that it will publish a newly discovered Dr. Seuss manuscript, “What Pet Should I Get?” on July 28. The new book features the brother and sister who appear in …

Leo Tolstoy isn’t the only novelist to have noticed that happy families are happy in the same way. In our time, Anne Tyler makes this observation with more generosity of spirit and humor than Tolstoy ever showed. Tyler’s families may not be over-the-moon happy, but happy enough considering that their relationships seldom meet their expectations. And they’re alike in believing that complete happiness awaits if only they can find the elusive fix to a vexing problem. Not a dozen pages into “A Spool of Blue Thread,” Tyler’s twentieth novel, two characters, clueless in the face of one such problem, are arguing over the fix. It’s going to be a familiar ride. …

Texas A&M press has republished a 1966 Texas classic, “The Galveston That Was,” a collection of historic photos and line drawings of 19th-century Galveston buildings. Meant to memorialize the island’s grand architecture before the devastating 1900 hurricane, this book by Houston-based architect Howard Barnstone revived interest in Galveston’s architecture. …

“The Girl on the Train,” released in the United States less than a month ago, slid into the No. 1 slot on the New York Times hardcover and ebook fiction list today (Sun., Feb. 8). For author Paula Hawkins, life’s become slightly surreal. …